The Alphabet
by Dash99
Summary: What would happen if Halt got caught feeding Abelard too many apples? Or Gilan gives Will way too much coffee? This is going to be twenty six short stories, each one based of a letter of the alphabet. PM or review with ideas!
1. A: Apples

**Just an idea that came across my mind. Each letter of the alphabet will be turned into a word. Please review!**

Apples. Tug watched as Will bit into one, juice squirting down his face. Tug looked at Will. He tried to adopt a puppy dog face, but being a horse it was hard. Will saw Tug staring at his apple.

"Don't tell Halt," Will said as he held out his hand and fed Tug an apple. Tug chewed contently as the juices squirted in his mouth. He closed his eyes in appreciation. Will reached up and gave Tug a pat on the neck.

_Can I have another?_

"No," Will said. "Do you know what Halt…"

"Will!" Halt called. "What are you doing?"

"Blast," Will muttered, as Halt strode towards him. He turned and faced his mentor.

"What have I told you about feeding your horse to many apples?" Halt asked.

"I know what you've told me Halt, but I just thought…"

"You're an apprentice, you can't think," Halt said. Will sighed. Tug sighed. Tug had really wanted another apple.

"Go shoot a hundred arrows," Halt said, and turned and walked back to the cabin. Will waited until Halt was gone, then reached in his pocket and pulled out another apple.

"Shhhh," Will said. Tug chomped happily on the apple, watching Will.

"Will!" Halt called. "I saw that! Go shoot your arrows!"

"Ok Halt," Will said, and then ran lightly over to where the targets were set up and began shooting arrows.

**THAT EVENING…**

Halt sat in a chair in the small living room in the cabin. He was drinking a cup of coffee while reading over a report that Crowley had sent him. He watched Will out of the corner of his eyes, waiting for him to go to bed.

"I'm going to bed, Halt," Will said. Halt just grunted in replied. Will plodded to his small room and closed the door. Halt waited a few moments, then stood up and laid the report down on a small table, along with his coffee. He walked as quietly as he could to his room and retrieved a small sack. He crept towards the door of the cabin; he tried to ease the door open. He grimaced as the door squeaked.

"I really should oil those hinges," Halt muttered. He crept out to the stable were Abelard and Tug were. He gently stepped into Abelard's stall and opened the sack. He held out his hand and Abelard snatched the apple out of Halt's hand.

"This is our little secret," Halt whispered in Abelard's ear. He fed Abelard another apple. Halt suddenly froze. He heard a noise. He heard someone stumbling towards the stable. Tug's stall was before Abelard's. Halt heard the stall door open.

"Don't you tell Halt," a voice whispered. Halt heard Tug munching on an apple.

_Please don't let him see, me. Trust the cloak, trust the cloak, _Halt thought. Abelard nickered a greeting to Will. Will looked up and over the wall dividing the two stalls. His mouth dropped.

"Halt?" Will asked, staring with his mouth wide open. He continued to stare at Halt. Halt sighed.

"Finished staring?" Halt asked. Will's eyes darted to the sack filled with apples in Halt's hand. He grinned.

"Don't you think you are feeding Abelard too many apples?" Will asked. Halt chose to ignore him.

"Or are you a master and you can't think?"

**The next letter will be B. Please review or PM me with ideas for a word!**


	2. B: Break

Arrow after arrow hitting dead center of a target. Knife after knife thudding perfectly into the center of a target. His muscles ached.

"Halt, can I have a break now?" Will asked.

"hmmmm. Since I am unable to think, I can't answer that question. Keep shooting until I gain the ability to think." Will had caught Halt feeding Abelard a bunch of apples the previous night. Unable to hold back he had made a comment that he wished he hadn't. He remembered the event.

"Don't you think you are feeding Abelard too many apples?" Will had asked. Halt chose to ignore him.

"Or are you a mentor and you can't think?" Will had jibed. How he wished he hadn't said that! His stomach rumbled, telling him it was lunch. Halt sat on the verandah drinking a cup of coffee. The smell made Will's mouth water.

"Can't take a simple joke," Will muttered to himself as he retrieved the arrows from the targets. He still couldn't believe that Halt was sneaking and feeding Abelard apples.

"And he gets on me for feeding Tug too many apples! He had a whole sack full he would have fed Abelard if I wouldn't have been there!" Will kept talking to himself.

"Will," Halt said, not looking up from the paper he was reading.

"Yes Halt?" Will asked, hoping Halt might let him eat lunch.

"I was thinking maybe it's time for lunch, but I forgot that according to you I can't think." Will rolled his eyes.

"It was just a joke Halt! Can I have a break and eat lunch?"

"I think most definitely not," Halt said.

"I thought you said you couldn't think," Will said to Halt.

"I'm a mentor. Leave the thinking to me. You're an apprentice, you can't think." Will finished retrieving his arrows and went back to work, shooting arrow after arrow. Halt chuckled to himself.

_Shows him to make jokes at me, _Halt thought. He sighed as he drank his coffee, enjoying watching Will work.

**Thank you Savannah Silverstone for the idea! You all can probably guess what C will be:) If you have any ideas for how it should go, leave them in a review or PM me! Thanks!**


	3. C: Coffee

**Sorry I didn't update sooner! I had a busy yet amazing weekend! I finally taught my horse how to be ridden bareback and bridless! I am so proud of him. Anyways, here be the next chapter! Thank you all so much for the reviews! Yup, it is coffee:) **

Gilan grinned evilly as Will slurped down another cup of coffee. He leaned back in a chair, thinking of how Halt would react. Gilan was passing through Redmont and decided to pay Halt and Will a visit. Halt had to go to the Castle Redmont to talk to the baron. Gilan decided to give Will an overdose of coffee so he would be extremely hyper upon Halt's return. He couldn't wait to see the annoyed look that would be on his old mentor's face.

_And the angry one when he finds out all of his coffee is gone, _Gilan thought.

"Gilan, Gilan, Gilan!" Will screamed. He jumped into the small living room in Halt's cabin and held up an empty cup.

"I want more coffee! Coffee! Coffee!" he said, jumping up and down.

"You'll have to make some more, you drank it all," Gilan said. Will quit jumping for a second.

"Will Halt be mad that I drank all of his coffee?" The hyper boy asked.

"No, of course not!" Gilan said, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. Will's face brightened, and he skipped back into the kitchen.

"Coffee! Oh beautiful coffee! You're taste so sweet, with honey!" Will sang as he scooped the coffee grounds into the coffee pot. Gilan peered into the kitchen and watched Will, who was now waltzing around while he sang the song.

_I wonder if I should leave before Halt gets back, _Gilan thought. He watched as Will started running around in a circle, and then ran into a wall.

"Ouch!" Will yelled, rubbing his face

"I think I should stay, just in case he tries and kill himself," Gilan muttered. Will poured himself another cup of coffee.

"Do you want any Gil?" he asked. Gilan smelled the fragrant aroma.

"I'll get myself some." He stepped into the kitchen. Will was scooping spoonful after spoonful of honey into his coffee.

"Will! Leave some honey for me!" Gilan said. He poured himself some coffee. He looked into the honey pot. It was empty. He snatched the spoon from Will.

"Hey! I wasn't done with that!" Will shouted at Gilan.

"Well, now you are, because you're hogging it all!" Will grabbed the spoon from Gilan's unsuspecting hands.

"You used all the honey! I need at least a little!" Gilan said as he tried to snatch the spoon from Will. Will, being as hyper as he was, jumped back several paces. He stuck his tongue out at Gilan.

"Come and get it if you want it!" he said. Gilan chased Will throughout the cabin. Will had so much energy from all the coffee he had drunk that he had no problem avoiding Gilan, whether he jumped over a table, or over a chair, or sometimes, to Gilan, it seemed as if he was bouncing off the walls. Will stopped for a moment, in front of the door. Gilan, steaming with anger that Will wouldn't give him the honey, lunged at him. He body slammed Will. Will's hand shot up, and the honey covered spoon went flying out of his grasp. All of the sudden, the door to the cabin opened. Halt stood in the doorway.

"Gilan! Will! What the heck is…" he stopped mid sentence. The honey covered spoon slammed right into the middle of his face. The sticky honey started sliding into his beard. He glared daggers at the two Rangers on the floor.

"Will, Gilan," Halt said. He pointed a finger out the door.

"Tree."

**So did you like it? any ideas on what D should be? please review! thanks!**


	4. D: Dangerous Dares

**Thank you thank you thank you all for the reviews! you guys/gals rock! So this idea came from Xayhra and Unfocused and Confused - Dangerous Dares! It was hard to decide which ones to use! Hope you all enjoy! R & R**

"Gilan, truth or dare?" Will asked.

"Truth!" Gilan said. Will didn't even think for a second.

"Do you like Jenny?" he asked. Gilan blushed.

"Well, um, no, not really…"

"Tell the truth Gilan," Horace said.

"Fine! Yes, I do," Gilan finally said

"I knew it all along!" Will said.

"I did too!" Horace said.

"Gilan and Jenny sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S…" Will and Horace began to sing.

"Enough!" Gilan said. "My turn." He grinned maliciously at Will and Horace.

"Will and Horace, truth or dare?" Gilan asked.

"You can't ask two people!" Horace exclaimed.

"Yes I can," Gilan replied. Horace and Will gulped nervously. Maybe their previous taunt was a bad idea.

"Dare," Will said nervously. Gilan looked to Horace, making sure the muscular boy agreed with Will.

"Dare," he said.

"Go ransack Halt's room," Gilan said. Will gasped.

"Ransack Halt's room? But that is the forbidden room!" Will wailed.

"He's not home, so he won't know you two did it," Gilan said, grinning evilly. "You have to do it." Will and Horace slowly stood up from their seat on the ground in Halt's cabin. They moved hesitantly to Halt's room. They turned their heads, just to make sure Gilan was serious. Gilan made a shooing gesture with his hand. The two apprentices entered Halt's room. Everything in it was clean and tidied up.

"This is the first time I have seen Halt's room," Will said.

"He never made you clean it?" Horace asked. Will remembered his early days as Halt's apprentice, when all he got to do was clean the house.

"Nope, he said if I ever even thought about going into his room, he would let Abelard have my room and make me sleep in a tree for the rest of my life."

"Didn't you just have to do that last night, sleep in a tree?" Will remembered the previous night when Halt had made him and Gilan sleep in a tree.

"I was in a sticky situation," Will said.

"Literally," Gilan added. "Halt doesn't like honey dripping in his face or getting on his beard. Now get on with it," he said making a shooing motion for Will and Horace to get on with their dare. Gilan waited for the two boys to begin tearing apart Halt's room. He stood up from the chair he was sitting in, and walked outside. He found a bucket on the small porch and filled it up with water from the barrel sitting right outside. He stepped back inside with the bucket of water. He carefully walked into Halt's room to examine Will's and Horace's work. Spare cloaks, boots, shirts, bows, and papers were thrown everywhere. Gilan saw where Will and Horace were about to start tearing the bed apart.

"Wait," he said. The two boys looked up, surprised.

"Just take the top layers of blankets off," Gilan said.

"Why?" Will asked.

"Just do it," Gilan replied. Horace and Will tore off the blankets and waited for Gilan's next order.

"Here," he said. He handed Will the bucket of water.

"What do you want me to do with this?" he asked.

"Dump it on Halt's bed."

"Gilan, please! I really don't want to die!" Will pleaded.

"You are the one who wanted to play truth or dare," Gilan said with a grin.

"You'll regret this," Horace said.

"No I won't. If you two try to get revenge, well," Gilan let the sentence hang. "You'll regret it," he finished. Will grudgingly slung the water all over Halt's bed, soaking it. Gilan walked in the room and touched the bed.

"Go get another bucket of water," he said. Horace and Will walked out the door and started to fill the bucket.

"What are you two doing?" Will and Horace jumped, and then relaxed as they saw who it was walking up the steps.

"Oh, uh, hi Halt!" Horace said.

"We were just, um, getting some water to make more coffee," Will said.

"Yes, we were doing just that," Horace said. Halt looked at them suspiciously.

"If you three have drunk all of my coffee again, you're in big trouble," Halt said. Will and Horace shook their heads in understanding, and then followed Halt into the cabin. They grinned as they saw Gilan emerge from Halt's room. Gilan was smiling, but it fell as soon as he saw Will's and Horace's gleeful faces.

"Gilan, what… were… you ….doing…in…my... room?" Halt asked, pronouncing every syllable.

"Nothing Halt," Gilan said nervously. Halt strode across the cabin in just a few quick strides and looked into his room. Halt clenched his fists and started heaving huge breaths. His face turned red from anger.

"GILAN!" he roared. Gilan cowered.

"It wasn't me Halt! I didn't…"

"Who did it then? Tug?" Halt demanded.

"No! Will and Horace…" Halt spun to where Will and Horace were standing.

"Did you destroy my room?" Halt asked, his face still red.

"No Halt!" Horace said.

"We didn't even think of going in your room!" Will added. Halt glowered at Gilan.

"You…are…so…dead….Gilan," he said slowly.

"But Halt…"

"Clean it up now!" Halt yelled, letting his temper out. He turned around and walked to the kitchen.

"Will, where is that coffee you were making?" Halt asked.

"I haven't made it yet," Will said.

"Come make it." Will looked at Gilan and grinned.

"Would you like for me to make you some coffee too, Gilan?"

"No," Gilan said through gritted teeth.

"Ok," Will said happily, and skipped off to the kitchen to make coffee.

**Later that night…**

Gilan wriggled uncomfortably in the tree.

"Stupid truth or dare," he muttered darkly.

"WILL! HORACE!" Gilan heard Halt yell. Gilan had never cleaned the water up out of Halt's bed, and he was in a tree, so who else in the house besides Will and Horace could have done it. He grinned as the two boys stumbled out of the door. Halt pointed to a nearby tree, and they each climbed up into one.

"So glad you could join me."

**So there is a holiday coming up that begins with an E... Easter! i was thinking about doing something along that line but I'm still need ideas/suggestions!**


	5. E: Easter

**HAPPY EASTER! Thank you all soooo much for the reviews! I had a really hectic week, so sorry if I forgot to PM you all with a thank you:) Anyways, Thank you The Lone Clapper, RangerNinja, and Xayhra for the ideas for this chapter:) **

Will and Horace walked through all the different vendors at the Baron's Easter festival. The two boys had sadly been rejected when they tried to do the Easter Egg Hunt. They were 'too old and should be putting their interest in other things instead of little kid things' as the woman who was in charge of the hunt put it. For Horace, 'interest in other things' consisted of stopping at every single booth selling food and buying some. Horace munched happily on a chocolate egg.

"This is really good, Will," Horace stated as he shoved the chocolate into his mouth.

"I want one! Where did you get it?" Will asked.

"Over there," Horace replied, pointing to some white, furry thing. Will stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is that thing?" Will asked. Horace looked at Will, horrified.

"That's the Easter bunny!" Horace exclaimed.

"I thought the Easter bunny was small and cute and furry," Will stated.

"Well, I guess it's not," Horace said.

"I don't think it is the real Easter bunny," Will told Horace.

"It is too! Look it laid this egg!" Horace held up the remains of his chocolate egg.

"Horace, rabbits don't lay eggs, chickens do."

"Chickens lay normal eggs, but rabbits lay chocolate eggs," Horace said.

"I don't think that's chocolate, what you're referring to," Will said.

"Normal rabbits don't lay eggs, silly," Horace told Will. "Only the Easter bunny."

"And the Easter bunny lays chocolate eggs?" Will asked, doubtingly.

"Yes!" Horace replied. Will rolled his eyes.

"I don't think so Horace," he said. Horace crossed his arms.

"Ask him!" Horace dared Will.

"Fine! I'll do just that!" Will said as he started marching up to the 'Easter bunny'. The Easter bunny turned a furry face towards the young Ranger. He held out a basket filled with chocolate eggs. Will took one.

"Are you the real Easter bunny?" Will asked the man dressed up as a rabbit. The man in the bunny-suit, not being able to talk, nodded his head violently.

"Told you!" Horace said.

"Yes, yes you did," Will replied. The Easter bunny held out the basket of chocolate eggs again.

"Do you really lay chocolate eggs?" Will queried. Again, the rabbit nodded his head. Will took another chocolate egg.

"Can I have another?" Horace asked the rabbit. The rabbit held the basket out to Horace, and he took another chocolate egg and started munching on it.

"Thank you," Horace and will told the rabbit, and started making their way through the vendors.

_**Later….**_

"Halt!" Will said to his mentor as he walked in the door. "I met the Easter bunny today!" Halt looked up from making supper.

"Oh really?" Halt asked.

"Yes! And he gave me chocolate eggs that he had laid!"

"Did you spoil your dinner?" Halt asked his apprentice.

"No! I'm famished," Will declared as he sat down at the table. "What is for supper, Halt?

"Rabbit stew."

**So, What did ya think? please review! Also, any ideas for F?**


	6. F: Father

**Sorry for the long wait! you all rock! thanks for all the reviews and ideas! I had a hard time deciding which ones to use:) anyways, these ideas came from AreiaCananaid and The Lone Clapper. It was a really hard decision though:)**

"Halt?" Will asked. Halt grunted in reply. "Can I tell you something?"

"You just did," Halt replied gruffly.

"Well, could I tell you something else?"

"If I say no, will you still tell me?"

"Yes," Will said.

"What?"

"You're like a Father to me." Halt looked up from the paper he was reading.

"What?"

"You're like a Father to me," Will said again.

"Why?" Halt asked Will.

"Even when I annoy you, you never leave me." Halt looked at the young man that had become like a son to him over the years.

"And Will, you are like a son to me." They both sat on the verandah and sipped their coffee, enjoying the peaceful silence of the woods. Halt stood up.

"I need to go check on some of the villages farther out today. I have been getting some reports that a small group of bandits have been robbing some farms."

"Can I go with you?" Will asked his mentor. Halt just grunted. Halt walked into the cabin to retrieve his cloak. Will stood up and stretched slightly, listening to the birds chirp in the early morning.

"WILL! What did you do to my cloak?" Halt yelled from inside the cabin. Will bolted into the cabin to see Halt holding up his cloak.

"What's wrong with it?" Will asked. Halt flipped the cloak around to reveal pink words painted on the back which said 'greybeard Halt'.

"Gilan did it!" Will declared. Halt arched one of his eyebrows. Will continued.

"He did it last night before he left!"

"It looks like you will have to take care of the bandits by yourself. I'm going ex-apprentice hunting," Halt said and stormed out the door, cloak in hand.

"Hey Horace, he fell for it!" Will called to Horace. Horace carefully stepped out of Will's room where he had hidden.

"Poor Gilan," Horace stated. Will nodded his head and gave Horace a high-five.

**So G will be Greybeard Halt. Any ideas for it? Please review!**


	7. G: Greybeard Halt

**Thank you all so much for all of the reviews/follows/favorites! You guys/gals have no idea how much it means to me:) Also, any criticism is welcome! I am here to improve my writing, so please, if you see any mistakes, let me know! **

Will sat down next to Berrigan and plucked a string on his mandola experimentally.

"What song do you want to play?" Will asked the one-legged Ranger.

"How 'bout Old Joe smoke?" Berrigan suggested. The other Rangers at the Gathering chorused their agreement. Will hesitated for a second, a worried frown on his face. He knew Halt had to be somewhere, glaring at him, daring him to sing it. He looked at Berrigan.

"Why not?" He said. He and Berrigan began to play.

_Old Joe Smoke's a friend of mine._

_He lives on Bleaker's Hill_

_Old Joe Smoke never took a bath_

_ And they say he never will_

_Fare the well, old Joe Smoke,_

_Fare the well I say._

_Fare the well, old Joe Smoke,_

_I'll see you on your way._

Several Rangers were clapping their hands to the beat of the song. Will and Berrigan kept singing and playing. They finished the song, and the crowd of rangers broke out in applause. Will heaved a sigh of relief; thankful that he hadn't sang _Greybeard Halt _instead. The Rangers began to make their way back to their tents. The moon was shining brightly overhead. Will was listening to the night sounds. He didn't realize that he was the last Ranger sitting by the dying fire.

"Will!" A voice whispered. Will jumped up in surprise, almost dropping his mandola.

"Don't do that Gilan! You scared me!" Will whispered back. "What do you want?"

"Crowley wants you to hear something," Gilan replied, grinning madly.

"What?" Will asked.

"Follow me," Gilan said. The two young Rangers made their way to Halt's tent, where Crowley was standing at the back of the tent. His hand was over his mouth and his shoulders were shaking violently. Will and Gilan cautiously made their way to where Crowley was standing. A noise, somewhat like a dying cow was coming from inside the tent.

"What's wrong?" Will asked.

"Shhhh!" Crowley ordered Will, "Listen," he whispered. Will and Gilan stood behind the tent, trying to make out the sound coming from inside the tent.

_Greybeard Halt is a friend of mine_

_He lives on Redmont's hill_

_Greybeard Halt never took a bath_

_And they say He never will!_

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_Fare thee well, I say_

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_I'll see you on your way_

The voice sang. Will and Gilan tried to control their giggles.

"Is that Halt?" Will said, his face turning red with the effort of trying not to giggle. Crowley nodded his head.

"I thought someone was dying, it sounded so bad!" Gilan giggled.

_ Greybeard Halt, he lost a bet_

_He lost his winter coat_

_When winter comes, Halt stays warm_

_By sleeping 'mongst the goats._

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_Fare thee well, I say_

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_I'll see you on your way."_

Halt continued to sing, or more accurately, screech. More Rangers started hearing Halt's voice echo across the Gathering Grounds, and began to listen. Giggles could be heard in various places, none of them too loud though, for they feared what Halt would do if he heard them giggle at him.

_ Greybeard Halt, he lives with goats_

_That's what I've heard tell_

_He hasn't changed his socks for years_

_But the goats doesn't mind the smell!_

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_Fare thee well, I say_

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_I'll see you on your way_

_Greybeard Halt is a fighting man_

_I've heard common talk_

_That Greybeard Halt, he cuts his hair_

_With a carving knife and fork!_

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_Fare thee well, I say_

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_I'll see you on your way"_

Halt finished the song with a real loud 'way'. Crowley let out a huge laugh, all the while wheezing, trying to suck in air as he laughed. More and more Rangers lost their composure, and laughed like madmen. Halt came out of his tent to see what all the commotion was about. As he stepped out, all the rangers began to sing.

_"Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_Fare thee well, I say_

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt_

_I'll see you on your way"_

Halt's eyes narrowed in on Crowley, who was pretending to direct al the Rangers in their singing, all the while wheezing and laughing.

"Crowley..." Halt threatened.

"Oh Halt, you're okay! We all thought something was dying in your tent, but I see that you're okay," Crowley said, trying not to laugh.

"Well then, if you think it is so funny, maybe you should try singing it."

"No!" Crowley yelled. Halt arched his eyebrows at his friend.

"C'mon Crowley!" Gilan yelled. "Sing it!" All the Rangers began to chant, "Sing it! Sing it!" Will, who was still holding his mandola, began to play the intro. Crowley started to screech the words to _Greybeard Halt. _Will quit playing the mandola, and plugged his ears. Many other Rangers did too. Halt, who had grabbed a cup of coffee, stood in shock as his cup shattered. Still, Crowley kept screeching in a voice so awful that it made Halt sound like a good singer.

"ENOUGH!" Will yelled. Crowley stopped.

"But I was just warming up," he said dryly.

"That sounded terrible," Halt muttered. Crowley turned to face him.

"Excuse me, but who was the one who sounded like a dying cow?" Crowley asked Halt.

"You," Halt replied simply.

"No, I believe it was you!"

"No, it was you!" the two senior Rangers kept arguing on who sounded like a dying cow. Finally, Will and Gilan intervened.

"Halt, Crowley, tree!" Will and Gilan both said in unison.

"What?" Halt asked in surprise. "You can't make me sleep in a tree!"

"And I am in charge! You can't tell me what to do!" Crowley shouted. Will looked at Gilan and at all the other Ranger's.

"Let's get 'em boys!"

**sooooo? what did you think? Also, H. I have not thought up of any ideas, so ideas welcome:)**


	8. H: Horse

**Oh my goodness! 60 Reviews?! You guys are AWESOME! Thank you sooooo much! You all gave me a lot of ideas:) It took me forever to decide, and finally I chose Ranger Robin's idea - Horse Love. Thank you all for the ideas! Keep reviewing/favoriting/following/critiquing! Enjoy!**

Tug stood rooted in place. He was not going to follow this scrawny stable hand.

"Uh, Ranger Will?" The stable hand asked.

Will turned around and saw his stubborn horse rooted to the ground, not moving a muscle.

"Oh, sorry," Will said, then gave Tug the hand motion for him to follow. The stable hand began to lead Tug again, and this time Tug followed obediently.

The stable hand led Tug into an empty stall, and unsaddled him. Once the saddle was removed, he began to brush Tug. Tug turned his head and looked at the stable hand, who was busily trying to remove some dirt from Tug's legs.

_Where is my apple?_

The stable hand continued to brush.

_I want an apple! Where is it?_

Tug stamped his hooves impatiently.

"You're an impatient fellow, aren't you?" The stable hand quit brushing Tug and walked into the feed room.

Tug waited. And waited. Finally, after what had seemed to be hours to the little horse, the stable hand re-appeared, holding something in his hand. He dumped it into Tug's feed bowl. Tug plodded over to it and stuck his nose into the feeder. He took a bite. Strangely, no juice squirted into his mouth, and there was no crunch. Whatever was in his feed bin, it was most definitely not an apple.

Tug backed up to get a better view of the foreign content that he had tried to eat.

_Oats? Why that good nothing stable hand! I wanted an apple! Not stale oats!_

Tug stomped around in his stall, furious that someone dared to give him oats, and they weren't even good oats! They were stale! He continued to stomp and pout, just like a child.

_Hey, will you please stop that?_

Tug instantly stopped, and turned his gaze to the horse that had spoken to him. His shaggy ears shot up, and his eyes grew big, for in front of him was the most beautiful horse he had ever seen.

_H…h…h…i._

Tug had never been at a loss for words, in fact, he always had quite a few to say.

_Are you a Ranger horse?_

_Yes, in fact I am Ranger Will Treaty's horse. My name is Tug._

_My name is Rosa. I am a Courier horse._

The two horses stood staring at each other. One short and shaggy, the other tall and elegant.

_Do they always serve stale oats here?_

Rosa stomped her hooves in anger.

_Yes! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all I get is stale oats! I really want an apple._

_Do you know where they keep them at?_

Rosa looked at Tug with sadness in her eyes.

_There are none._

_Why?_

_There aren't enough. The Rangers are always taking them. _

Tug seemed to think for a while.

_I have a plan, Rosa. _

_To get apples?_

_Yes, to get apples._

**Later….**

Will walked Alyss to the little log cabin. They had walked because their horses had seemingly disappeared.

"Do you think they are okay?" Alyss asked.

"I don't know. I'm going to ask Halt if he has seen them…" Will stopped midsentence. He saw two bloated horses, standing by an empty apple bin.

"Tug! Did you eat all of the apples?" Will asked his horse.

_I ate half of them._

Tug seemed to smile mischievously.

"Why did you have to break out of your stall? What was wrong with the apples there?

_They didn't have apples._

"Couldn't you of waited for me and Alyss? We had to walk all this way because of you!"

_I wanted an apple, and Rosa had never had one before._

Will snorted.

"You did this because of a girl?"

_Maybe…_

_You mean you did this for me?_

_Yes Rosa._

"You two," Will said, shaking his head. "Are impossible. Want some coffee, Alyss?"

"Why not?" She replied. The tall courier and short Ranger made their way inside the cabin.

_Those apples were delicious, Tug._

_See why I love them?_

_Yes._

Rosa seemed to let out a sigh. Tug realized he need to say something, and this time he knew just what to say to Rosa.

_I love you more though._

**Ideas for I? PM me or post them in a review! Thanks!**


	9. I: Icing

**Thank you all soooo much for the reviews! So, here is the next chapter. A big thank you to Xayhra for the idea! You all give me such great ideas! It is always so hard to pick just one:) R & R:) **

**You all should know the drill by now:) Any ideas for J?**

******Sorry about the typo in Evanlyn's name:) I now know it is Evanlyn, not Evelyn!**

Will, Alyss, Halt, Pauline, Horace, Evanlyn, and Gilan all sat at a table in Jenny's restaurant. They had all just finished one of Jenny's gourmet meals, and now were devouring pieces of cake and chugging down cups of coffee as fast as Jenny could refill the cups.

Horace, who was finishing up a piece of cake, licked some icing off of his fingers.

_CRACK!_

Jenny's ladle thudded against Horace's head.

"What was that for?" The muscular knight demanded.

"You do not lick icing off of your fingers. Especially chocolate icing," Jenny replied.

"You could have told me first instead of hitting me with that ladle of yours," Horace said, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"I know, but hitting you is way funner."

"Funner isn't a word," Alyss pointed out.

"Well, it is now," Jenny replied.

"No, it's not," Alyss said. Jenny swung her ladle experimentally.

"I will use this if I don't have to," she said.

"Don't you mean 'if I have to'," Evanlyn added.

_CRACK!_

_CRACK!_

Jenny's ladle cracked on Alyss's and Evanlyn's heads.

"OUCH!" the princess and courier yelled. Jenny crossed her arms in front of her.

"You two have anything else to say about my choice of words?" Jenny asked.

"Yes, yes I do," Evanlyn said.

"Wha…" Jenny was cut off by a handful of icing landing in her face.

"That was mine!" Horace yelled. Evanlyn ignored him.

"Eat icing," Evanlyn said.

"You…did…not…just…do…that," Jenny said slowly.

"Oh yes I just di-id," Evanlyn said with a girlfriend attitude.

"Burn!" Alyss said.

"Burn? How about crack?" And with that Jenny swung her ladle in a perfect arc towards Alyss's head.

_CRACK!_

Evanlyn grabbed her sling and loaded it up with cake, icing, and other various foods.

"You did not just hit me with your ladle!"

"Oh yes I did!"

"Oh no you didn't!" Evanlyn's sling began to hum as she swung it around and around.

_SMASH!_

Evanlyn hit her mark; Jenny's open mouth.

"Why, you little…"

"Run Evanlyn!" Horace yelled. Evanlyn needed no second urging. She began to run, Jenny close behind, swinging her ladle in deadly arcs.

Alyss grabbed Will's piece of cake.

"Alyss! That's mine!" Will yelled. Alyss ignored him and threw it at Jenny.

Jenny's eyes swung to Alyss, and she advanced towards her.

"We need to get these girls out in a battlefield," Halt said to Gilan.

"If that was the case, we could rule the world," Gilan added.

They kept running around the restaurant, yelling at each other, throwing food, or in Jenny's case, whacking away with her ladle.

The customers in the restaurant began to cheer. Some yelling, "Go Jenny!" Others, "Run Princess, run!" or, "Woo hoo! Go Alyss!" Bets were being made, on which one would win.

Alyss picked up a chicken leg from someone's table.

_SMACK!_

The chicken leg hit Jenny in the face.

_CRACK!_

Jenny's ladle hit Alyss just as hard.

"GIRLS!" An elegant, but powerful voice demanded.

All three girls stopped dead in their tracks.

"That's enough!" Pauline ordered. "You three should be ashamed of yourselves. Take a look around." Alyss, Jenny, and Evanlyn looked around the demolished restaurant. They each in turn looked to the ground and shuffled their feet.

"Sorry," they muttered.

"You should be," Pauline stated. "Now pick up this mess." Alyss and Evanlyn began to pick up the food that was thrown all over the floor. Jenny grabbed a broom and began to sweep up all the broken pieces of glass from plates being shattered.

Once the dining room was sparkling clean, Alyss and Evanlyn sat back down at their table.

"Can I have another piece of cake?" Will asked.

"Anybody else want anymore cake?" Jenny asked.

"I do!"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Of course you do Horace," They all muttered. Horace just smiled.

"This time, don't throw it at anyone," Horace said.

"Oh man!" Evanlyn said, then laughed. The laughter spread until everyone at the table, and Jenny, was laughing.


	10. J: Jumping

**Hello peoples of earth! I have returned! Sorry for the long wait! I was having internet problems (UGH). Thank you all so much for the reviews and suggestions. I had a lot of suggestions for jumping, so thank you all! Please keep reviewing, critiquing, and suggesting!**

Will, Gilan, and Horace were walking along the winding streets of Wensley, listening to the sounds of dogs barking, mothers ordering children to do chores, and shopkeepers running off rambunctious teenagers.

In the center of the town, three girls were gaily jumping rope. The two Rangers and the knight stopped, and watched them.

"Hey Will, I bet you couldn't do that," Gilan teased, gesturing to the girls jumping rope. Will harrumphed and rolled his eyes.

"Seriously Gilan? You don't think I could do something that three eight-year-olds are capable of doing?"

"I'd like to see you try." Though Gilan said it jokingly, there was a hint of 'I dare you to' in his voice.

"I'd like to see you try too!" Horace declared.

"Okay then," Will said. He started to walk towards the three girls.

The girls stopped their jumping and stared at the Rangers, mouths open.

"Could I have a turn?" Will asked. The girls stared at Will like he had grown another head. They handed him the jump rope. Gilan and Horace each grabbed an end and began to swing the rope.

"Horace! Quit going so fast!" Gilan demanded. Horace slowed down, and now he and Gilan were swinging the rope at a nice gentle pace.

Will attempted to start jumping the rope. He failed. All he accomplished was tripping over the rope and falling, flat on his face.

The three girls giggled at the Ranger who was sprawled out on the ground.

"How about another go?" Gilan suggested. Will stood up, groaning slightly. Gilan and Horace again began to swing the rope. This time, Will made it over the roped once, but then he jumped on top of it, yanking the rope from Gilan's and Horace's arms.

"You're terrible at this!" Horace exclaimed. "I can show you how to do it."

Will and Horace traded places. They began to swing the rope.

_CLASH!_

Horace jumped, but he forgot that he had two feet to land on. He crashed to the ground, his armor making noise.

The three girls again giggled.

Gilan rolled his eyes. "I guess I need to show you blundering oafs how it's done." He held the rope out to Horace. Horace stood up, rubbing his buttocks.

"There's going to be a bruise there," he muttered. He took the rope from Gilan, and he and Will began to swing the rope, really, really, really, fast.

_SMACK!_

Gilan had stepped too close to the rope, and had been rewarded with a nice smack in the face by the flying rope.

"OUCH!" he screamed, holding his face. "You idiots! Don't you know how to swing a rope?" Gilan half asked, and half yelled.

The three girls were holding their sides, trying not to laugh.

"Do you want us to show you how it's done?" One of the three asked. Gilan, who was still holding his face, ripped the rope from Will's and Horace's hands.

"OUCH!" They both screamed. They started to rub their hands.

"You gave me a rope burn!" Will exclaimed.

"Me too!" Said Horace.

"This is a brutal game!" Will added.

Gilan ignored their protesting, and handed the girl the rope. She held one end of it, and the second girl held the other end. They began to swing the rope, and the third girl started to jump the rope, perfectly in rhythm, not missing a beat.

Will, Horace, and Gilan watched in wonder.

"See, easy!" The third girl said, still jumping. The Rangers and knight shook their heads.

"Thanks for letting us attempt to jump rope," Gilan said.

"You're welcome!" The three girls said together. They waved at the warriors, who waved back, then started walking away.

**You know what I"m going to ask...(Ideas for K?)**


	11. K: Kite

**Thank you all for the reviews! Sonya-Valentine gave me the idea for this chapter. Thank you for all the suggestions! Keep R&Ring:D**

"Horace, you are supposed to tie the string to the two sticks, not your fingers."

"It's just really tangley, Gilan!" Horace declared.

"Tangley is not a word," Gilan replied dryly.

"Well, it is now!"

"Just give me the string and sticks." Horace obliged, and handed the Ranger the two sticks and string. Horace watched as Gilan tied the knot.

"Are you sure you are doing that right?" he asked.

"Of course I am, I'm a Ranger." Gilan continued to tie the knot. "There, done!"

Horace eyed the knot skeptically. "Are you sure…"

"Horace, have you ever made a kite?" Gilan asked.

"No, but…"

"Then leave it to the expert!"

"How many kites have you made?" Horace asked. Gilan hesitated.

"Well…um…actually, I've made…"

"None," a gruff voice interrupted Gilan. "What are you two doing?"

"Hi Halt! Gilan, the expert kite maker, is making a kite," Horace said, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"And what are you two planning on doing with a kite?" Halt asked, eyebrows raised.

"Fly it," Gilan said.

"Attempt," Horace added.

Gilan agreed. "Attempt"

"May I watch you two?" Halt asked.

"Of course!" Gilan replied. He tied on another string to the knot he had created earlier. "Let's go!"

Gilan started walking out of the clearing where Halt's cabin stood, Horace following close behind.

_This could be very interesting, very interesting indeed, _Halt thought.

The two Ranger's and knight stood on top of the hill that faced castle Redmont. A soft breeze blew, causing the green grass to wave back and forth. A little ways away, a tree stood, surrounded by big green bushes, and other undergrowth.

"Let's try this out!" Gilan set the kite on the ground, and began to unwind the string. "Horace, hold the kite up!" Gilan ordered. Horace picked up the kite, and instantly, the wind picked it up, and it soared into the sky, higher and higher.

"Told you I was a master kite builder!" Gilan grinned at Horace and Halt.

"I guess you…" Horace stopped mid-sentence, and watched as the kite whirled around frantically in the air. The wind ripped the kite from Gilan's hands, and blew it into the tree.

"Great, just great," Gilan muttered.

"Looks like we have a master kite builder, but not flyer," Halt said. Gilan just rolled his eyes.

They walked over to the tree and observed the mess.

"How are we going to get it down?" Horace asked, his eyes going upwards to see the kite tangled high up in the tree.

"You're going to have to climb the tree."

"Me, Halt?" Horace squeaked.

"You or Gilan."

"Gilan!" Horace blurted instantly.

"Me? I don't know how to climb!"

"Well, I'm scared of heights." They both looked at Halt.

"Can you get it for us?" Horace asked.

"Please?" Gilan added.

"No."

"Why?" Gilan asked.

"Because."

"Because why?" Horace queried.

"Because I don't want to," Halt finished.

"That's not the reason," Gilan stated.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"I was your apprentice for five years, you never do anything because 'you don't want to'."

"Well I am now."

"Hullo, what are you three doing?"

"Will!" Horace exclaimed. "Just the person we needed!"

"Why did you need me?"

"Gilan got our kite stuck in a tree, and he doesn't know how to climb trees, and Halt is scared," Horace rushed.

"Halt, you are scared to climb trees?" Will asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"No," Halt simply replied.

"You forgot to add that you are scared of heights, Horace," Gilan said.

"Whatever! Can you just get the kite?" Horace asked.

"Please?" Gilan added.

"Sure." Will swiftly climbed up into the tree, and retrieved the kite.

"Thank you!" Horace exclaimed happily. Will climbed down, and handed the kite to Gilan.

"Don't give it to him! I want to fly it!" Horace demanded. Will gave the kite to Horace, who managed to tie himself up in the string from the kite.

"Halt, are you really scared to climb a tree?" Will asked.

"If someone asks me that question one more time, I'm sending that person up into a tree to sleep for the night." With that being said, Will shut his mouth, and didn't ask Halt again.

"Hey Halt, Why are you scared to climb that tree?"

"Yeah, why is that?"

"Horace, Gilan, tree."

**Must I say what comes next? **


	12. L: Lemon

**Oh...my...goodness! Over 100 reviews? You guys/gals are amazing! Thank you sooooooo much! A shout out to Ranger Robbin for being the 100th reviewer! Thank you all so much!**

**A big thanks to all of you who gave me suggestions and ideas! This one came from Seriya Silvermist. Just as a heads up, I probably won't be updating this for about two weeks. Hope you all enjoy! R&R :D**

"Hey Halt, let's see who is tougher!" Will challenged.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Will exchanged a humorous look with Gilan, one that Halt didn't notice.

"Let's see who can drink the most lemon juice, without making a sour face." Will paused dramatically, hoping someone would get his joke. "Get it? Lemons are sour and you would make a sour face?" The two senior Rangers stared blankly at him.

"Never mind, but would you, Halt?"

Halt replied shortly, "No."

"Why?" Will queried.

"I already know I'm tougher than you, I don't need to prove it," Hat said, a smug expression on his bearded face.

"You're just afraid," Will stated.

"Afraid of what?"

"That you will lose."

Halt snorted. "No, I just know that I don't need to prove it to you."

"What about Gilan? Should you prove to him that you're tougher than me?"

"No."

"What about the Baron?"

"No."

"Sir Rodney?"

"No."

"The King?"

Again, Halt replied. "No."

"If you know that you will win, why won't you do it?"

"Will you quit asking questions?" Halt said, exasperated.

"Not until you agree to drink the lemon juice."

"Fine, I'll do, just to stop your endless questions."

Will smiled mischievously, and sat down at the kitchen table. Gilan disappeared into the kitchen, and re-emerged with two coffee cups, both filled to the brim with lemon juice. He placed one in front of Will, and winked at him. The other, he placed in front of Halt.

"On your marks," Gilan began. "Get set," he paused dramatically. "Go!" Will and Halt both lunged at their cups, and began to drink. Will took a big gulp of his, then made the sourest face that both Halt and Gilan had ever seen.

"Gilan! You gave me the wrong cup!" Will shouted.

"What do you mean?" Gilan asked.

Will, unable to control his anger blurted out the secret. "You gave me the one without sugar!"

Halt grinned smugly at Will, his lemon juice gone. "Did you really think you could fool me?"

"How did you know?" Will asked.

"Crowley tried the same trick years ago."

"So you snuck in the kitchen and swapped the cups around, so you would get the one with sugar?" Will queried.

"Of course I did, and I must say, the lemonade was delicious, could you make me some more, Gilan?"

Gilan shook his head. "How do you do it Halt?"

Halt turned his gaze upon Gilan. "I start by not asking pointless questions." Gilan scurried away to make Halt's lemonade.

"Want to have a rematch, with just lemon juice?" Will asked.

"Why should I? I just proved I'm way wittier than you." Will rolled his eyes. He needed to accept the truth – there is no beating Halt, at anything, whatsoever.

"Now, I think you should go chop some firewood, then after that you can beat the rugs, then sweep the floor, and cook supper, then clean up the supper dishes…" Halt continued the list. "And Gilan can help you."

Will and Gilan began the list of chores that Halt made them, while Halt continued to sit at the kitchen table. He took a sip of the lemonade that Gilan had made him. Halt instantly spat it out, lemon juice going everywhere.

"Gilan…" Halt muttered darkly. "You're going to regret trying to trick me, again."

** I know you all know what I'm about to ask...(Ideas for M?)**


	13. M: Mother

**I have returned! Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. I am having some writers block. A quick thank you to all you Mothers out there! You all are the best and the world wouldn't be the same without you! Another thank you to all of the Reviewers/Favoriters/followers! You guys and gals rock!**

**Thank you to Savannah Silverstone, Seriya Silvermist, and The Lone Clapper for this idea!**

"When Gilan was little…"

"Mom…"

"He would always…"

"Mother…"

"Throw the biggest tantrums when he couldn't have a cookie." Jenny snorted with laughter and Gilan face palmed himself.

"Mom, will you just stop it," Gilan begged.

"Stop what sweetie?"

"Sharing all my childhood stories."

"But they're funny, Gil," Jenny said through snorts of laughter.

"Embarrassing is more like it," Gilan muttered.

"Halt would always tell us the story when Gilan first became a Ranger. Would you like to hear it, Jenny?"

"Of course!"

"No, she doesn't."

"Yes, I do, Gilan."

"Well one day Gilan followed Halt out to a stream. Gilan thought he was being so sneaky and that Halt didn't know that he was there, so Gil tried to sneak up behind Halt."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Jenny said, smiling.

"So Gilan snuck up behind Halt, and then Halt threw Gil into the stream."

Jenny laughed again. "How come you never told me that, Gil?"

"You never asked," Gilan replied.

"You know, when Gilan was little, he was a chubby little kid. It wasn't until he hit his double digits that he became all lean and lanky."

Jenny arched her eyebrows. "Gilan? Chubby?"

"Yes, he was a very chubby baby."

"Out of all of these stories, that is the hardest to believe."

"Well it is true, isn't it Gilan darling?"

"I don't remember." The two ladies continued to talk about Gilan's childhood.

"You should have seen him the first time he drank coffee! I have never seen a child bounce off of walls, but my dear son did! I don't see how the Rangers put up with him!"

"Well it sure doesn't have that effect on him anymore. He drinks coffee like a horse drinks water." Jenny smiled at Gilan, who did not return the smile.

As the ladies continued to chatter, Gilan interrupted them.

"I need to get going. I have a mission to go on tomorrow, so I need my rest." Gilan stood up. His Mother stood up and gave him a hug.

"Be careful sweetie!"

"I'll try." Gilan actually smiled. "Though it might be hard."

Jenny stood up and gave Gilan a hug.

"Dinner at my house when you return?"

"I wouldn't miss it."

~_Halt's Cabin~_

"How did your date go?" Will asked.

"It could have been worse," Gilan replied.

_~Halt's Cabin~_

"What happened?" Worry was clear in Will's voice.

"My Mother came."

"Oh, I guess that explains it all." Even though Will missed his parents, there were times when he was glad he didn't have them, and dating was definitely one.

"Did she tell the story about when you…"

"Don't you even start."

"Fell off of Blaze because you forgot to…"

"Will, I will tickle you."

"Tighten the girth?"

And with that Gilan took off after Will, trying to tickle him.

**It's half way over! :'( *cries* Don't forget, ideas for N!**


	14. N: NO!

**I loved writing this chapter! You all gave me some great ideas! Thank you for all the ideas! **

**This idea was suggested by *drum roll*...**

**Guest G, Dont blink or u might miss me, Xayhra, and Silent Song of Shadows.**

**Keep on reviewing, favoriting, and following! You all rock!**

"Halt, could I…" Will began to ask.

"No," Halt interrupted.

"You didn't even let me finish my question!"

"Even if I did, the answer would still be no."

Will crossed his arms and pouted. "Why?"

"Because," Halt stated.

"Because why?" Will asked.

"Because I said so." Halt began to walk out of the cabin.

"Halt, I was wondering if I could…"

"No." Halt strolled out the squeaky door.

"Halt, why do you never oil those hinges? Do you think I could do it? Why are you walking outside? Are you trying to leave me? Did I make you mad? Am I asking too many questions? When will lunch be ready? What are we having for lunch? Could Horace come over and eat lunch with us? What about Gilan? Do you think he could come over to? Could we make an apple pie and see if Tug and Abelard would eat it? Do you think it would give them cavities? Would we have to…"

"No, no, no, no and no!" Halt roared. "Will you just shut up?"

"Why do you want me to shut up? Am I being annoying? I really don't want to shut up, because then it would be too quiet and I don't think…"

"Always a dangerous pastime," Halt muttered.

"My thinking isn't always dangerous. It can be quite good. Remember the treaty with Skandia? Or what about that time…"

"Will! Just be quiet for ten seconds!"

"One, two, three," Will began to count.

"Now how about…" Halt began, only to be interrupted by Will.

"Ten! Now I think we need to get more apples for Tug, and Abelard can have some too. Do you think horses like caramel apples? Could we make some and see? I like caramel apples. Could Horace come over and help me make them? Or maybe Jenny could. Jenny is a really good cook. She can make…"

"If I let you make caramel apples, will you quit asking questions?"

"For how long?"

"Forever."

"Nope!" Will exclaimed, smiling.

"Then go make lunch," Halt ordered.

**Lions and tigers and bears! ****O ****(Ideas for O please!)my! **


	15. Author's Note

**So, do to my busy summer and my bad attention span, I'm going to be putting my stories on hold for a little while. I am really having a hard time trying to write right now. School is about to start, and I have so many things I want to do before then. Hopefully I'll be back and writing in a few weeks! Sorry about this. **

**Write to you all later!**

**Dash99**


	16. O: Old

**Woo-hoo! I'm finally back! I'm sorry if I didn't get around to thanking everybody for their reviews, so...**

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! You all are awesome!**

**Thank you all for the suggestions! As always it is so hard to decide:) This idea was suggested by: Lorrie the Ninja Elf, (Guest) G, ValleyOfDeath, Xayhra, and Musicgirl97. **

**Without further ado, I present to you, 'Old'.**

"Halt, Can I ask you a question?" Halt glared at his old apprentice across the kitchen table, and took another sip of his coffee.

"You just did," Halt replied in a gruff voice.

"Well, can I ask you another one?"

"You just did that as well." Will sighed, knowing he had just walked himself into this mess. He was silent for a moment, trying to think up of some way to outsmart his old teacher.

"How about this," Will began. "Can I ask you two questions?"

"No," was Halt's simple reply.

"I'm going to ask you anyways," Will said. He waited for a response from Halt, then, receiving none, asked his question. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-eight," Halt replied. Will's face was one of disbelief.

"No way!" Will shouted.

"What do you mean, 'No way'? Are you saying I look old?" Halt asked. Will smiled mischievously.

"You just asked two questions," The younger Ranger said happily.

"I'm your elder, I can ask two questions. Now, back to my question…"

"Um Halt, you asked two questions, so you should say questions, not question, because if you say 'I have two question' that doesn't make any sense."

"And who made you my grammar teacher?"

"You, obviously, since you obviously don't understand grammar, so obviously…"

"Quit saying 'obviously'."

"Why?" The ever inquiring apprentice asked.

"It's annoying." Halt went back to sipping his coffee and started reading a paper. Will watched his mentor intently, taking in Halt's gray hair and beard.

"Hey Halt?" Will asked.

"Hay is for horses." Will sighed in irritation at his mentor.

"When is your birthday?"

"Sometime this year."

"What year were you born?"

"Twenty-eight years ago."

"You have a lot of gray hair for being that young."

"Are you saying I look old?"

"Not old, just older."

"And just how old do I look?" Halt had a dangerous glint in his eyes as he bore his eyes into Will's, daring him to insult his looks and age.

Will picked up on the dangerous look, and hesitantly backed down.

"You look like you're twenty-nine."

Halt continued to stare Will down, searching for a lie in his expression, but Will had grown accustomed to these stare downs, and adapted a look of innocence. Halt fell for it.

Halt went back to reading his paper.

"Halt?"

Halt grunted in reply.

"What is your favorite type of cake?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Well, I was thinking…"

"Always a dangerous pastime," Halt muttered. Will ignored him.

"…that maybe we could have a birthday party for you."

"No."

"But Halt, it would be fun!"

"Exactly." Halt finished his coffee. "I need to go evaluate the battleschool today, don't you go getting into trouble," Halt said to Will.

"Ok, I probably won't be around here today. I have some errands to run."

Halt's back was turned to Will as he placed his empty coffee cup into the sink, if it hadn't been, he would have seen the evil smile that spread across Will's face.

"Halt?" Will asked before his mentor left.

"What?"

"What time will you be back?"

"Probably sometime after lunch." And with that Halt left the cabin and mounted up on Abelard, and cantered off towards Redmont.

Halt returned to the little cabin in the woods after lunch, just as he had said. He dismounted Abelard, and began to un-tack the little horse. As Halt was brushing his horse down, he listened to his surroundings. Something seemed out of place. He glanced over out into the pasture to see if Tug was there, which he was. Halt resumed brushing Abelard.

Halt Grabbed an apple out of a nearby bag and gave one to Abelard. He put Abelard out into the pasture and began walking towards the cabin.

_It just seems to quiet, _Halt thought. He paused and listened. _Not too quiet, just too noticeably quiet._

He opened the door to the cabin.

"SURPRISE!" Jenny, Gilan, Alyss, Lady Pauline, Horace, Evelyn, and Will shouted.

Halt was showered with confetti.

"Happy 30th birthday Halt!" Will shouted above all the ruckus. He handed Halt a chocolate cake with thirty candles on it.

"It's not my birthday," Halt said evenly.

"Well, I guess not, but it's your birthday party!" Will said excitedly.

"Even if it was my birthday, I would be twenty-nine, not thirty."

"Can you just please blow the candles out, Halt? I'm starving!"

"You're always starving Horace," Evelyn said.

"Fine, I'll blow the candles out," Halt said. Halt took in a deep breath of air, about to blow out the candles.

"WAIT!" Gilan suddenly yelled.

"What? Am I not doing it right?" Halt asked.

"We forgot to sing 'Happy Birthday'! You can't blow the candles out until we sing to you," Gilan said.

"Oh brother," Halt muttered, as Gilan started singing.

"Happy Birthday to you/Happy Birthday to you!"

"Cha-cha-cha!" Will added. They all continued to sing (except Halt, of course.)

"Happy Birthday dear Halt! /Happy Birthday to you!"

"And many more," Gilan sang, ending the song.

Halt again began to take a deep breath to blow out the candles.

"WAIT!" This time, it was Horace who yelled.

"What is it this time? The house is going to burn down if I don't blow these darn candles out!" Halt cried out incredulously.

"Did you make a wish?" Horace asked.

"No."

"But you need to make a wish!" Horace whined.

"Why do I? I have everything I want right here with me. My two annoying apprentices, a knight and future king who is like a son to me, all of their wives and girlfriends…"

Will elbowed Gilan in the side. Gilan elbowed him right back, and then held Jenny's hand.

"And, of course, my beautiful wife." And with that Halt took a deep breath and blew the candles out.


End file.
